As Nigerian Muslims join their counterparts across the world to observe this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and other staff of the University of Abuja have complained about unpaid salaries by authorities of the institution.
The institution’s branch of ASUU has been on strike and vowed not to suspend it.
The union said the action by the school authorities which was meant to break its ranks by refusing to pay salaries had rather made it stronger.
Members of the Congress of University Academics who have been working despite the strike are also affected by the non-payment of salaries.
Reacting, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, said the management had approved payment of salaries to all academic staff, and included with magnanimity, even those on strike who deserve no salary because of the activation of ‘No Work No Pay’ policy of the Nigerian government in the university.
ASUU chairman, Sylvanus Ugoh, had directed branches to brace up by mobilising themselves in the weeks ahead.
He accused the university administration of writing to the accountant general of the federation to illegally stop ASUU members’ salaries to deter them and divert their attention from their legitimate struggle.
“All the authorities concerned know of this illegality. Branches are directed to mobilise themselves in the weeks ahead. For us in UniAbuja, we have never been found lagging behind in any action. We are already standing gallant and mobilised,” he said.
Noting that members were already on the path of victory, he added: “And because of these prevailing harsh situations and no salaries, our congress will hold later in the days ahead. Right now we know the level of hardship our members are subjected to by denying them their legitimate salaries, even with the Ed Kabir Sallah. As for the issues in contention that led to the ongoing strike nothing has changed rather things are getting worse.”